Flash Siblings
by Storm Wolf77415
Summary: Yuuki Kouichirou had to leave on a business trip before he could enjoy Sword Art Online, his younger sister Asuna ended up going into Aincrad in his place, eventually she would rise to prominence as "The Flash", but for the want of a nail, both Yuuki siblings end up trapped in the death game of Kayaba Akihiko, and now there is more than just one Flash...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Sword Art Online belongs to Reiki Kawahara, including Yuuki Kouichirou. I'm just fleshing him out for this story. Yukimasa and Yukimura Ikuruga belong to Centurious the Azure.

Flash Siblings

By Storm Wolf77415 and Centurious the Azure

Prologue

(October 27th, 2022 AD)

On a desolate hill with the sun slowly beginning to dip in the west, two warriors clashed in a fierce battle. Wearing bronze armor over blood red tunics, they engaged each other with a Dory spear and a large, circular bronzed shield with the Greek symbol of Lambda emblazoned on the front. The Xiphos sheathed at their side banged against the leg as the two warriors slammed their shields against each other, one of them took the blunt his Dory, slamming the end into his opponent's gut.

This caused the other warrior to stumble back, using the spear to support himself, quickly raising his shield to avoid getting by the incoming spear thrust; he leapt to the right, letting the weapon glance off the very edge of his shield. He kicked his opponent in the hip, before using his shield to flip the other guy over his head, his shield and spear hitting the ground with sharp metallic clatters.

"Yield now or meet your end!" the victorious soldier uttered a sharp command, pointing the tip of the spear at his opponent's throat for emphasis. His opponent sighed, pushing the weapon aside.

"Okay, I yield, just get that thing out of my face!" the bronze helmet came off, revealing a man in his mid twenties with Japanese features. He sat up, breathing heavily, as sweat poured from his short cropped brown hair, threatening to get into his gray eyes. "Damn Kouichirou, if you're this brutal during a simple sparring match. I hate to actually have to fight you for real!"

The other man laughed, pulling the helmet off, revealing a second Japanese man, brown hair a shade lighter than his friend, hazel eyes dancing in amusement. "Sorry Kimura, but that's how my sensei taught me. You either go all in or not at all." Yuuki Kouichirou held his hand out to his childhood friend, Sugou Kimura, helping him to his feet. "You have no reason to complain anyway. After all, you asked me to train you in Spartan combat techniques for research purposes."

Kimura winced as he rubbed his hip from where he got kicked earlier. "I wasn't aware research would be so painful! If I knew that, I would have asked you to draw me a diagram!"

"Oh grow up. You're not your cousin!" Kouichirou huffed as he removed his armor. "Nobuyuki whines if he has more than par three on the golf course!" He shivered. "Not to mention he has a serious gland problem when he starts sweating."

Kimura cringed, recalling the last time they had gone golfing with his cousin, Sugou Nobuyuki and Kou's father, Yuuki Shouzou. "Yeah, it never took much for him to break out." He grunted, punching Kouichirou in the shoulder. "Thanks a lot for that mental image. I'm going to be scrubbing my brain and eyes for the next two weeks now!"

"Just don't use too much brain bleach, we need your mind in working order." Kou said, putting his gear into the trunk of his 2021 Dodge Challenger, painted a deep royal blue with a white racing stripe down the center. "I need to go pick up Asuna, Kimura. I'll catch you at the office tomorrow." With that the two men said their farewells.

Kouichirou arrived at St. Hebijo Academy, where his younger sister, Yuuki Asuna, attended classes. Befitting one of the most prestigious all-girls schools in Japan, they had top of the line facilities as made his way to the pool where the swim team was practicing. He paid no mind to the amorous glances the girls sent his way. Kouichirou had dealt with far worse. His gaze fell on a young woman sat at the side of the pool wearing a racerback style swimsuit in the school colors, red with silver sides, a red swimcap on her head. "Hey Kimiko!" He called out.

"Oh, hi, Kouichirou!" Asuna's best friend, Hattori Kimiko waved. "I'm guessing you're here to pick up Asuna?"

He nodded. "You guess correctly. Where is she?"

"Tearing up the lanes as usual!" Kimiko pointed to lane two where a sleek figure cut through the water with a precise movement. Kimiko whistled. "Wow, she shaved three tenths of a second off her best time!"

Yuuki Asuna gasped as she touched the side of the pool. She pulled off her swimcap while climbing out, water dripping off her lithe body; shaped by her time on the swim team and dance lessons since she was a little girl. Toweling off her hair, she heard applauding. She saw her brother and best friend standing there.

"Looking good as always, little sis! You beat them by a mile!" Kouichirou called out.

"Uh, thank you, brother." She blushed slightly. "Is it time to go home already? I haven't been keeping track." Kouichirou gently patted her on the shoulder.

"Yeah, go and get cleaned up. We don't want to keep Mom waiting now, do we?" Asuna grimaced at the mention of their mother, Yuuki Kyouko, by far the least warmest person on the planet. She went to the locker room to change. It wasn't long before the Yuuki siblings left Hebijo, walking out of the school gates to Kouichirou's dark red Dodge Challenger. The meaty engine of the muscle car started and drove toward the manor that was their home.

"Thanks for coming to pick me, Kouichirou. It always makes it better when we go home together." Asuna smiled, taking hold of her brother's hand.

"Anything for my little sister." The elder Yuuki sibling gave her a brotherly pat on the cheek. "Oh that reminds me. How did your big history exam go?"

"Aced it of course," Was Asuna's plain response. "The girls were all congratulating me in their usual way." While St. Hebijo had a reputation for excellence, it was off put by a cold and austere atmosphere. The girls all jockeyed for the top spot, and would do anything to get there, whether it was giving their academic rivals snide, passive-aggressive putdowns or even actively sabotage them. For Kouichirou and Asuna, it was little wonder their mother was hailed as one of the academy's finest alumni. She fit right in!

They soon arrived at the Yuuki manor, driving through the gates up to the door. The siblings entered, only for Asuna to freeze up slightly as a man in an expensive suit with slicked back hair emerged from the front door. "Ah, welcome home you two." Sugou Nobuyuki said, the light reflecting off his steel framed glasses "Ah, Asuna." He drew out the S in her name, running his fingers along her cheek, causing her to visibly flinch. "You look lovely as ever. We haven't seen each other in a while, perhaps we can have dinner some time?"

"Sugou, don't you have somewhere to be? I'm sure our mother had you come by for some business reason, it's the only reason you'd be at our house anyway." Kouichirou spoke in an even tone, but there was no hiding the quiet venom in his voice. There was no love lost between the two men, due to a marriage contract brokered between the Sugous and Yuukis that would see Nobuyuki and Asuna wed. Kimura had also voiced his disgust for the entire arrangement, asking if this was still the sixteenth century, but the protests fell on deaf ears.

The two squared off for a few seconds, before Sugou relented. "I do wish you wouldn't be so hostile to me, Kou. Asuna's hand is mine. Our parents did agree to it, and it's all legally binding. One day we will be married, and then we will call each other brother-in-law." He took a handful of Asuna's hair, giving it a lecherous whiff before departing. "Until then!" He got into his expensive Lexus, driving away.

Asuna shivered all over. "Great, now I'll need another shower!" She whined.

"Yeah, that makes two of us." Kouichirou said. He smirked. "Next time he does that, I'm siccing the garden hose on him. Maybe it will get some of the grease out of his hair." Asuna giggled. He put an arm around her. "Don't worry, little sister…no matter what happens, I will always protect you. As an older brother always should be for the ones who come after him." Asuna let out a small sob, embracing Kouichirou. It was moments like this that made her life bearable. Knowing her big brother would always be there for him.

(Sky over Pacific Ocean, October 17th, 2022 AD)

"I'm telling you, this will be great for the company." Yukimura Sanada rumbled in his deep baritone. As Chief Executive Officer of Digital Escape Technologies, he was one of the wealthiest men in the entire United States, if not the world. He certainly cut an intimidating figure at six foot three, and two hundred thirty five pounds of lean muscle in a tailored Armani suit. He assumed his favorite pose, fingers steepled in front of his face. "I've been wanting to expand into Japan for the better part of eleven years, now all my hard work is about to pay off!"

"I'm glad to see how excited you are, honey." Hitomi Sanada, his wife and Chief Operation Officer said, patting him on the arm. Digital Escape had gone from a small business running out of Yukimura's basement to becoming one of the largest tech conglomerates in the world. They had already managed to expand into parts of Southeast Asia, and now they were ready for the next step. The Sanada family was currently on their private jet to Tokyo to over see the opening of the company's first branch office in Japan.

"I still don't see why we all had to go." Yukimasa, their second born son grumbled. "Kuro and I could have easily stayed in San Diego with Mori while the two of you got the new office set up."

"Yuuki Shouzou is our main partner in this new enterprise, Masa." Hitomi said, eyes narrowing slightly. "It's thanks to him we were able to make a foot hold in Japan to begin with. Not to mention he and your father have been friends since they were both boys. The two of them haven't seen each other in how long, dear?" Hitomi said.

"It will be nine years next month." Yukimura said, the light reflecting off of his steel rimmed glasses.

"No offense, Mom, but there are aspects about my ancestral land I'm not that enthused to see." Yukimasa said. "Let's face it, guys like Kuro and I aren't exactly welcome in Japan." He had heard the stories from his father growing up of how half-blooded Japanese were often looked down upon with scorn.

"That will only happen if you let them get to you, young man." Hitomi's voice was firm. "It's bad enough you got into fights back in San Diego, we're going to a foreign country and they won't look kindly if you fall into that kind of behavior again, and if you do, the police will be the least of your worries." All three men in the small cabin winced a little; there was nothing more terrifying than Hitomi Sanada when she was pissed off.

The middle Sanada son just sighed in resignation. He didn't have the energy or desire to fight. "Whatever you say, Mom…" and went right back to looking out the window at the endless expanse of clouds. There was a certain peace that came at being thirty thousand feet in the air. It wasn't that Yukimasa didn't enjoy going to Japan, he could recall a few summers when he was younger at the Sanada's ancestral home just outside of Kyoto, but for him home was back in California, where his friends were.

He felt an elbow gently dig into his side, he turned, red eyes meeting the steel gray of his younger brother, Kuro Sanada. "Relax, Masa. It won't be so bad." Kuro shrugged. "I mean, all the negative stuff aside, Japan has plenty of cute girls in cosplay. Maybe we'll get a chance and one of them will dress up like Hatsume Miku, and then I could ask her out on a date…" He grinned, it was long known that the youngest of the Sanadas had a crush on the Vocaloid.

Yukimasa cracked a wan smile, just patting Kuro on the shoulder. "Never change, little brother, never change."

Kuro lightly punched him in the arm. "Well someone has to cheer you up, otherwise you'd be Mr. Gloom and Doom for at least a month after we arrived, and I don't have anyone else to hang out with. So you really don't get much say in the matter, Masa."

His brother burst out laughing. "So glad to know you have your priorities straight!" After he had finished with his giggle fit, Yukimasa went back to cloud gazing. "Maybe your right, Kuro. Perhaps I am just being a big old sourpuss. Japan does have some pretty cute girls, plenty of targets for a couple of aces like us to engage."

"Now you're talking!" Kuro grinned.

(Kirigaya Residence, November 1st, 2022 AD)

It was an unseasonably warm day for November, but one young woman was taking advantage of the weather, working out in the back yard of her home. She wore the traditional garb of a kendo practitioner. Kirigaya Suguha was only thirteen years old, but she was rapidly climbing through the ranks of her age group on the kendo circuit, her friends at her school's kendo club said she was a shoo-in to reach nationals.

It wasn't hard for anyone to see why, as Suguha swung her bokken around, every step was crisp and sharp, Every strike dead on, and every parry and block would ensure no one would score a hit on her at all Not a single movement was wasted as the pants her dark blue hakama rustled every time she stepped. To those watching, it would appear she was dancing. Once she had finished her practice kata, it was time to take a breather.

She slumped down on the porch. "Well, at this rate, I should be ready for our next competition." Suguha said, when something cold touched against the nape of her neck. She almost leapt up when she saw her older brother, Kirigaya Kazuto, standing over her with a bemused grin on his face, holding a water bottle in his hand. "Don't do that! You almost scared my pants off!" She huffed, taking the bottle. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Oh, just checking in on you. I know you've got that competition next week. I heard if you do well there, then you go to Nationals, that's only another two months away." Kazuto said, taking a seat next to her. "I caught your kata just now. It looked really great, made me think of the days when I was still taking."

"Are you…thinking of getting back into it? That would be so great!" Suguha didn't want to believe her ears. Her brother had become very distant and aloof in the past couple of years, it had vexed her to no end, considering how close they had been as children. The notion Kazuto would want to resume his training made her feel better than she had in a long while.

"Whoa, chill out. I said I was just thinking about when we used to train together." Kazuto held his hands up defensively. "Tell you what. You do well at this next meet, and then…we'll see, how's that?"

"I'm going to hold to you that!" Suguha said. Kazuto patted her on the shoulder before going back in the house. He walked up to his room, looking out the window where his sister resumed her practice. He sighed, lying back on the bed.

"Well…I took the first step." He said. "I'm at least talking to her now." It had only come to Kazuto's attention a year prior that he and Suguha were actually cousins and not actually siblings, having been adopted by his aunt, Kirigaya Midori, and uncle, Kirigaya Minetaka, when his parents had died. It had shaken the foundation of his entire world, and so he had withdrawn into his own little world of games and computers, avoiding Suguha any chance he could.

Midori had seen the effect it had on both of her children, and decided enough was enough. Midori sat Kazuto down, telling him in no few terms that no matter what happened, they were still family, and what he was doing was not fair to either him, or Suguha. She asked Kazuto to at least start talking to his sister again, to which he agreed, albeit reluctantly. On the other hand, it did feel as though a huge weight had lifted off him. He sat down at his computer, turning on his favorite podcast, where he'd remain for the rest of the night.

(Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Yamato, Kanagawa Japan. November 4th, 2022 AD)

"Kotone! It's breakfast time!" the room was fairly normal itself, with a feminine air if the pictures of sunflowers and lacy curtains colored a light periwinkle blue were any indication.

The door swung open, admitting a man in his late forties, who was most assuredly American, with his fair skin and light brown hair, framing chocolate brown eyes. He wore the khaki duty uniform of an officer in the United States Navy. A pair of silver stars on his collar. His nametag read 'M. Lamperouge.' Rear Admiral Mark Lamperouge sighed, once again trying to get his daughter up. "Felicia Kotone Lamperouge, I'm not going to tell you to wake up again, young lady."

He pulled the blanket off, revealing the occupant of the bed, a young girl of mixed Anglo-Japanese descent. Mark gently poked her, finally causing the girl to stir. She sat up yawning, her shoulder length red hair, looked like a dandelion. "Morning Dad." Kotone said in English, with only the slightest hint of an accent.

"You're going to be late for school. Get moving!" Mark ordered. She let off a cute pout. "You're fifteen, not five. It's not going to work on me the way it used to. Be downstairs in ten minutes." He said leaving the bedroom. A career Navy officer, the man known as the Crimson Fox was about to deploy on the USS Abraham Lincoln for a three-month wargames in the North Pacific with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Still, he was a devoted father to his adopted daughter, Kotone.

He entered the kitchen, where he found his senior NCO, Master Chief Petty Officer David Bourne sitting with his protégé and apprentice, Lieutenant Commander Graham Aker. They both stood up at attention. He gave them both a salute. "Good morning gentlemen."

"Finally get our little dandelion girl to wake up?" Graham asked. Graham was like a son to Mark, and thus saw Kotone as a little sister.

"Yeah. There are days I still marvel that Naomi left her in my care. But then again, she said there was no one else she would trust Kotone's upbringing to." Mark smiled bemusedly. "It doesn't help there's so much of the mother in the daughter. They're both stubborn."

"But it's all the more rewarding to watch her grow." David said as he swigged down his coffee. Even an old salt like him couldn't help but be charmed by her. They all saw Kotone as a part of their family and would do anything to protect her. Kotone came down the stairs, wearing a deep blue hoodie over a green sweater and pink and white striped top with a yellow plaid skirt and long black stockings.

"Morning Graham, Morning Uncle David." Kotone said, buttering some bread to make toast.

"Same to you, Dandelion Girl." Graham said, putting an arm around her. "Hard to believe you were the same little thing that came into our lives so long ago. You've grown into such a fine young woman, Kotone. I'm surprised you aren't fighting off the boys with a stick at school."

She started blushing, "Stop that, Graham!" pushing him away. He let out a hearty laugh, causing his CO to begin glaring at him.

"Oh come on, Admiral. You can't deny she's grown up quite well. It's just a matter of time before boys come knocking at the door, sir." Graham said, causing Kotone to blush even more.

"Not if I can help it." Mark grunted, resolving to sit around cleaning his gun whenever Kotone brought a boy home.

Kotone cleared her throat, clearly wanting to change the subject. "It's going to be quiet around the house without you guys around." Mark got up, giving her a deep hug.

"The Vashtis are just a phone call away, honey. I'm sure Christina, Feldt and Mileina would be happy to have you over for a couple nights a week." Mark said. He pulled out a square box wrapped with a ribbon. "I have a little going away present for you. Something to keep you occupied until we get back." Kotone took the gift. She opened it, tearing off the paper, revealing a sleek dark blue helmet.

Her green eyes widened in surprise as she realized just what she had been given. "Dad?" she looked to Mark, who just nodded in acknowledgement. She let out an earsplitting squeal, leaping at him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Daddy!" She cried in joy. "Tell me…did you get it?"

"Look inside." Mark said with a knowing grin. She dug into the box further, finding a game cartridge, causing another high-pitched squeal of delight. "Took me pulling quite a few strings, had to contact a friend who knew a friend, but I got you one of the first 10,000 copies. Just make sure you don't spend all your time playing it. I'll be very disappointed if your grades suffer because you slacked off, do you hear me, Young Lady?"

"Yes Daddy." Kotone said, giving her foster father another kiss. "Thanks, this is the best!" she looked at the cartridge, clearly labeled "Sword Art Online."

(November 6th, 2022 AD)

It was a day many gamers across Japan had been eagerly awaiting. The first ever Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, known as Sword Art Online, was just hours away from going live. Kouichirou nervously paced in the bedroom of the penthouse suite he lived in. His eyes flickered to the digital clock on his nightstand, currently reading 12:48 PM.

His Nerve Gear and copy of SAO were currently sitting on his bed, waiting for 1:00 PM, the moment service for the game officially opened. "Not much longer now." He whispered, every nerve in his body alight with anticipation. Kouichirou had managed to be one of the privileged few who got accepted into the beta for SAO. The eldest Yuuki sibling was eager to see what had changed since he last logged in.

"Uh, Brother?" Asuna asked from the living room. She was currently inspecting the second Nerve Gear her brother had appropriated. Asuna had been rather surprised when Kouichirou had picked her up in his Challenger, saying he had a treat for her. This weird gadget was not what Asuna was expecting. The most experience she had with video games was playing Bejeweled on her phone. "I'm not sure about this whole thing."

"Relax, sis. It will be just fine. Aincrad is a magnificent place. You could relish just walking through the towns and fields. It may just be a virtual projection, but it really does feel like you've stepped into an entirely different world!" Kouichirou urged, putting his hands on Asuna's shoulders. "All you have to lose is a few hours of your time, sis. That's all I ask, a few hours of your time. I can teach you how to play the game, and if you still don't feel like it. No harm, no foul."

Asuna sighed, letting her shoulders droop. "Okay, bro. I'll try it out. If just to make you happy." She smiled.

"That's my little sis! Trust me, Asuna. You will not regret this at all." Kouichirou checked his watch. "Ooh, it's 12:58! Two minute warning! We're almost at Zero Hour! We best get ready!" He made for his bedroom, giving his sister an anticipation fueled grin. "See you in Aincrad, Asuna!" the younger Yuuki sibling picked the Nerve Gear and game cartridge, inserting the latter into the former. She made herself comfy on her brother's couch, watching the clock projected on the screen.

It clicked over from 12:59 to 13:00 Yuuki Asuna then uttered the two words that would change her life forever. "Link Start!"


	2. Those Who Go, Those Who Stay

Disclaimer: Forgot to add this to the previous chapter. Graham Aker, and all characters from Gundam 00 are the property of Sunrise.

Flash Siblings

By Storm Wolf77415 and Centurious the Azure

Those Who Go, Those Who Remain Behind

(USS _Abraham Lincoln_ , Middle of Sea of Japan, November 8th, 2022 AD)

There were few testaments to man's creative prowess than the _Nimitz_ -class aircraft carrier. One of the largest and heaviest sea-going vessels ever built at a length of 1,092 feet and over a hundred thousand tons, with a crew of near five thousand, capable of carrying an air force suitable for a small country through its Carrier Air Wing, any time an aircraft carrier was sent somewhere, things often happened.

However, the only reason the USS _Abraham Lincoln_ was currently in the middle of the Sea of Japan was to partake in training maneuvers with elements of both the Japanese Maritime and Air Self Defense Forces. Rear Admiral Mark Lamperouge currently stood in the Combat Information Center, or "CIC", which served as the nerve center of the entire vessel. He walked along the bank of screens, looking over the shoulders of his subordinates as they monitored all data coming through.

"Admiral Lamperouge." Graham ran in. "Sir…this just came to us from Atsugi. It was priority one." He handed him a clipboard. Mark took the clipboard looking from it to his long time protégé, his expression becoming fiercer by the minute, more than a few of the technicians squirmed in their seats and others inched away. The Crimson Fox was a fairly sedate man most of the time, but no dared make him angry.

"Is this confirmed for sure, Commander Aker?" His voice was measured, but there was an underlying fury.

The younger man nodded somberly. It was moments like this he was grateful Mark didn't believe in killing the messenger. "Yes Three Hornets have already been prepared for us. CPO Bourne is personally getting the engines warmed up. I knew you would want to return to Japan ASAP, given who it is after all."

"You're absolutely right about that." Mark's voice was frigid, the idea of his baby girl becoming trapped in the death game that Sword Art Online had become. Without a further word the two men departed the CIC for the locker room to suit up. They had planes to catch.

(Luka Village, Floor 1, Aincrad, November 10th, 2022 AD)

The Raised Sword Tavern was the main watering hole for the small village of Luka, filled to capacity with players and NPCs alike. Some were exchanging information on quests, prime hunting locations, and showing off the new armor or weapon they had bought or received in a monster drop. Others were simply content on getting piss ass drunk.

One of the inn's denizens in particular had all the males in the room staring at her, not hard to see why, given her current attire. A short cloak over a top with armor and hot pants covering her perfectly shaped rear end, topped off with detached sleeves, a pair of ankle length boots with long knee length stockings, all in a deep wedgewood blue. The young woman looked at what she wore, running a hand along her butt. "Dad would pitch a fit if he saw me like this!"

Kotone, or rather, Philia as she was known in Aincrad. Had already made it to the next town on Floor One. She had decided to go the route of being a treasure hunter, finding rare and famous artifacts would translate into a large amount of Col to spend on gear. Although she was wondering why the game had such skimpy clothing in the first place. She had come to the Raised Sword to track down a couple of leads on possible treasure sites, but all she found were a couple of guys who clearly had too much to drink and were trying hard to get her to stay.

"Hey babe, come on and have a couple more with us!" One man slurred.

"Sorry pal, I've got places to go and treasure to find." Philia said, clear disgust in her voice. She turned to leave, only to feel someone grab her rear end, eliciting a shocked scream and a slap to the face of the first man's partner.

"Excuse me." Philia and the two drunks turned to see a young man with white hair and blood red eyes leaning against the wall. "I think you two have already have more than enough if you're resorting to these sort of tactics." He sauntered over, putting himself in front of Philia, with his arms folded. She noticed his player ID had him as 'Weiss Blutschnee'. "If you're smart, you'll just turn around and leave."

"We're not going anywhere!" the first guy said, struggling to keep himself upright. "That little bitch hit my friend, she has to be taught her place!"

"Besides, there's two of us and just one of you." The second drunk was so incoherent, Weiss wondered if there was a subtitle feature to help translate. "It won't end well for you." The white haired youth just looked back to Philia, before directing his gave back to the men, unimpressed with their attempts at intimidation.

"Uh, I think you boys might want to take off the beer goggles." Weiss said, jerking a thumb over to a nearby table. "Because it's interfering with your ability to do basic arithmetic. Hey Kieran, Klein!" He called over to a nearby table. "I've got a little problem here, mind helping me out with it?" it was then two men stood up, one looked like Weiss, but with black hair and golden-yellow eyes, the other with brown hair tied up with a bandana.

"You got a problem here, bro?" the black haired man drawled, his ID showing him to be Kieran.

"These guys have hit their two drink limit, and were

messing around with our lovely guest here." Weiss jerked his head back to Philia. "I was just telling them they needed to get dried out. Sadly, they don't seem to be able to take the hint."

"Is that a fact?" The bandana wearing man, whom Philia surmised was Klein said, stretching a little. "A little bar brawl will make a nice distraction from all the monster slaying! Isn't that right, guys?" He said to the other men at the table, who stood up. "Last chance guys. You either leave quietly, or we have to cut you off the hard way." The two drunks began shrugging off their stupor, realizing they were more than a little outmanned.

Weiss took Philia by the hand, "Come with me, Miss. I wouldn't want a pretty girl like you being caught in the middle of what's about to go down here. Perhaps we could take a short walk?" The sound of a bottle breaking rang in both their ears, as a full-scale bar brawl erupted.

"Uh, mind if I tag along, Bro? I think I'm a little out of my league here." Kieran gave an apologetic smile. He could tell there was a growing attracting between his older brother and their new friend, he didn't want to play third wheel, but it was either this or stay in the bar.

Weiss shrugged, there would other times to seal the deal later. "May as well." He paid no attention to the growing mayhem behind them. With that he ushered her outside, away from the growing madness, while Kieran closed the door behind them. "It's a lovely evening, don't you think?" "Oh, where are my manners? The name is Weiss, and this is my brother, Kieren." He held his hand out.

"Philia." She took it tentatively. "Uh, thanks for standing up for me back there."

"Not a problem, those guys were getting a little too grabby for my tastes. Seriously, you'd think those guys haven't seen a beautiful woman before." He muttered, peeking through the window to where the bar patrons were having a grand old time. Klein wound up, slugging a guy in the jaw, before grabbing the other, sliding him along the entire length of the bar.

"Just not a proper pub scrap without a bar ride." He quipped, turning to his companions. "Come on, let's go for a walk. They're going to be busy for a while." The three headed off through the town. "So what brings you to Luka? I can imagine it doesn't involve shacking up with some drunken oafs who can't take a hint."

"You'd be correct. I'm looking to make a name for myself as a treasure hunter. Finding and selling rare artifacts can bring me a large sum of money." Philia sighed. "I have a feeling I'm going to need every advantage I can get if we're even going to survive this entire nightmare." She shivered at the memories of the events of a few days prior, when Kayaba Akihiko declared the start of the death game.

"Yeah, we remember that day too." Weiss's fingers curled into fists, desiring nothing more than to pull the robed figure down to where he and Kieran could both beat the creator of SAO senseless. "I hope Kayaba enjoys this show while he can, because once we get out of here, I'm personally going to pull him out of whatever hole he's hiding in and give him the mother of all beatings before he dies. Then again…my Dad and older brother just might beat me to it. Either way, I'll be satisfied."

"That makes two of us!" Kieran growled, hand going to the sheathed falchion at his side as he imagined using it on Kayaba.

Philia smiled. "I was thinking the same thing. My father is probably using every resource at his disposal to find him." It wasn't hard to imagine the Crimson Fox calling on the full power of the United States Navy, ripping apart every corner of the planet to Kayaba. "It's really not wise to make my dad angry." The gas lamps in the village began springing to life as the sun's light vanished from the sky.

"I have to say the town at night is rather beautiful." Weiss said. He hesitated, almost wanting to add, 'but not as beautiful as you are.' It was then the man from the tavern showed up. He groaned inwardly, leave it to them to ruin a quasi-intimate moment. "I trust you got your fun in?"

"You know it!" He put his hands behind his head. "Those guys weren't much of a challenge. The wolf mobs put up more of a fight!" He eyed Philia. "So, who's the pretty lady? You going to introduce us?" Earning a couple of annoyed groans from the brothers and an eyeroll from Philia.

"Philia. This chucklehead here is Klein." Weiss glared at him. "He's the leader of the guild Fuurikanzan. We ran into him and his buddies back in the Town of Beginnings. We've been traveling together ever since, strength in numbers and what not." He held ah and out to Philia. "Perhaps you'd like to join us? Perhaps we can help you root some of those rare treasures you're looking for?"

"Sure! We'd always welcome another person to the team. Especially if it's a lovely lady such as yourself." Klein said, giving a roguish grin, much to the consternation of his companions. His guildmates shrugged it off, they were used to it by now. "We really need someone of the opposite sex to balance it out."

"Feel free to smack Klein whenever he makes a dumb comment. It will make us laugh." Kieran said, earning him a dirty look from the curved dagger user. "Although, he isn't entirely wrong. We certainly would welcome the company of a lady such as yourself." He hoped he was blushing when he said it.

Philia smiled, Weiss wished he could take a picture, since it was so gorgeous. He wasn't sure where he'd put the screenshot, but there was no doubt as to "Well, since you asked so nice. I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to have someone watching my back, so sure!"

"Welcome aboard then!" Weiss said, taking her hand. "I'm looking forward to working with you, Philia."

(Road to Tolbana Village, November 10th, 2022 AD)

"Ah, crystal blue sky without a single cloud in sight! Just how I like it!" Kouichirou declared as he walked along the path, using his spear like a walking stick. "Don't you two agree with me?" He looked over his shoulder where Asuna walked with their other companion. The Yuuki siblings had met the young man two days after the start of the madness, a dark haired youth wielding a one-handed long sword named Kirito.

The three had partied up after Asuna had foolishly ventured into a dungeon all by herself the day following the start of the Death Game after hearing of a possible way out. She had pushed herself to the brink of exhaustion, leaving herself vulnerable to being killed by the ever-growing mobs. Kirito saved her life, carrying her out of the dungeon, where Kouchirou promptly read her the riot act…all because Asuna knew her mock entrance exams for high school were coming up.

"Whatever you think, brother." Asuna said, adjusting the dark wine red cloak she wore over her clothes, before directing her attention to the new weapon hanging at her side, a Wind Fleuret that she had acquired after taking down a field boss with the help of her brother and Kirito. She couldn't deny it was a magnificent weapon.

"So, what's our game plan here?" Kirito suddenly spoke. "I don't have any problems partying with you guys for the time-being, but we don't exactly know what we're doing." He bowed his head slightly; dark locks shading his eyes from view. "I've heard that almost 200 people have died already."

Kirito stopped in the middle of the road as he recalled the vow he made to himself upon leaving the Town of Beginnings, how he would survive no matter what. But the reality was beginning to sink in. "I don't want to say it, but from where we're standing right now…the 100th floor is as far away as it gets." His entire body tensed when he felt someone take hold of his hand. The next thing he knew, Asuna's face was inches from his.

"Maybe…but with that kind of attitude, we won't get anywhere." She chided him gently, frowning slightly. Kirito couldn't help but find it rather cute. "That's a surprise coming from the guy who saved my life. I figured you would be all gung ho about it." Kouichirou just snickered quietly; he'd leave it to Asuna to rile the kid up. Nothing was better motivation than having your ego wrecked.

"Borrowing a page from Mom's playbook?" Amusement colored the elder Yuuki sibling's voice. "I didn't think you had it in you, sis." He ignored the glare from his sister, it was nothing new to him, although he had to admit that with time, Asuna could possible match or even surpass Kyoko with the gaze of doom.

"Whatever! Let's just get to the next town before nightfall." Asuna huffed, blowing her bangs up with her exasperated sigh. She strode on ahead, past her brother. "I want to buy some new gear and upgrade my weapon, not to mention a bath would be really nice." Kirito was about to say something when they heard the howl of a wolf.

All three of them immediately snapped to action, hands going for swords, or spear in Kou's case, also raising his shield up. They gave slight nods to each other, taking off in the direction of the howls.

They found a young woman about Kouichirou's age, surrounded by a massive pack of wolves, snapping and circling around her, waiting for their moment to attack. The woman herself was as close to perfection. Long white hair framed a face that could only be described as perfect with the exclusive exception of a tiny mole beneath the corner of her right eye. Even then, it seemed to be an exception to the rule with how it accented her features.

A black bow in her hair behind her head lovingly complimented her snow white locks. She was clad in flowing white kimono robes with three black magatama assembled on each side of the collar; her kimono off cut at the lower part of her thigh, exposing a pair of very long legs, covered by white knee-high stockings. She wore a tight short black pleated skirt to compliment it in a monochromatic fashion. Her left arm was covered in an armored black gauntlet in the place of where she was missing a white long sleeve. A white hip cloak finished the garb.

Clenched in a delicate hand was a simple backsword with the handle wrapped in white leather. The woman dispatched one of the many wolves surrounding her, moving with a lethal efficiency that reminded Asuna of a video that her dance teacher had shown her when she was just a child. This woman moved with an almost otherworldly grace as one of the wolves leapt at her, and the backsword came down, decapitated it in a shower of blue sparks.

The trio leapt in, hacking and slashing the other monsters. The woman said nothing, just giving a silent, but elegant nod of acknowledgment. Asuna immediately went for a Linear, chaining three together to destroy her first target. Kirito covered her, switching out to take the second one with a Horizontal slash.

Asuna then went after a second one, using a skill she had just learned, Oblique, despite it having a lower range than Linear, it's power was higher due to the user's full weight being put behind it. She chained it with a two hit Linear strike, causing the canine to explode in the standard bluish green light. Her lag time was enough for another wolf to lunge at her, only to be caught by Kirito's Slant attack.

The two continued this, trading off places to give the other time to recharge from using a skill. Every so often Asuna would look to the mysterious white-clad woman, dispatching the wolf mobs often with only one or two strikes. The younger of the Yuuki siblings couldn't help but be jealous of the stranger, who clearly knew exactly what she was doing.

But the most impressive sight was Kouichirou himself, Spear in left hand, shield in right. His years of training in the warrior arts could now finally be put on full display. He found himself attacked by two lunging wolves, but he simply impaled one, knocking the other away with the metal knob on the end of his spear before going to stab it, while using his shield to defend himself when not using the reinforced metal edge to knock a third wolf away, before taking a running start, leaping into the air to kill the downed creature.

The remaining wolves snapped at him, but Kouichirou showed no fear, expertly spinning his weapon of choice, before making a mocking gesture. One wolf leapt at him, only to for its neck to be broken by the heavy wooden shaft before it was impaled, another got its front leg broken.

He embedded the spear in the ground, going for the Xiphos sheathed at his side. "Let's go, you overgrown Pomeranians!" He charged up his own Horizontal, cutting through two wolves at once, but he was only getting started, aiming an upward Slant that cleaved another mob in two. Without even looking he whipped his shield around to attack another wolf coming in from behind, before impaling it with his blade.

Like Asuna, Kirito was equal parts impressed and jealous at the older player's prowess. Despite being an accomplished gamer in his own right, and the few kendo lessons in his youth, they paled in comparison to the genuine training that Kou had gained over the years. The elder Yuuki sibling had applied himself thoroughly to his mastery of his preferred weapons, all giving him a huge edge over the rest of the players in the game.

A massive howl suddenly made all activity stop, causing the very ground itself to shake, all the wolf mobs suddenly cleared out. The four players could only gape as a wolf the size of a Clydesdale emerged from the brush, with fur as black as a thousand midnights, a sinister looking scar running down the right side of its face where it's eye should be. It growled menacingly, showing long yellow fangs with saliva dripping from them.

Kouichirou retrieved his spear, "Lobo the Dire Wolf." He read, the name above the creature, and its two HP bars. "That's a low level boss!" He swept his gaze to his companions. "Kirito, Asuna, we need to work together on this one." He looked to the woman in white. "I won't ask you to stay, but an extra blade might make all the difference here. The name's Kou, the girl is my younger sister, Asuna, and that's Kirito."

"Yukira." The woman spoke in a deep, regal tone. She brought up her backsword. "I suppose I don't have a choice but to help you if I want to get to the next town in one piece."

"Then let's get the job done!" Kouichirou said, gesturing with his spear. "Ladies first, it's only proper after all!" Yukira needed no further prompting, she prepped her skill, striking the first blow, leaving the telltale sign of a long red gash along the creature's shadowy hide, eliciting a pained howl from Lobo, whipping it's gaping maw around to get the person who harmed it, only to get a face full of shield and a spear in the right shoulder.

Kouichirou smirked in triumph, having taken the chance to switch with Yukira after her initial strike, slamming his faithful weapon right in Lobo's face, and then following up with a quick thrust to the monster's side, watching at the first HP gauge began emptying. The Dire Wolf now moved with a visible limp. "Kirito, Asuna, work your magic on them!"

The two younger gamers were on it in seconds. Asuna striking from the right, with a double Oblique and a four hit Linear, Kirito came in from the left at the same time, going for a Vertical Arc, carving a V into the Boss before going for a Horizontal Arc, slashing from one side to another, chipping down the first HP into the yellow. "All right, we're making some progress!" Kirito said.

Yukira was next, going for a Rage Spike, leaping upward to strike at Lobo's underside. The massive wolf tried to lunge at Yukira, only to once again be met by Kouichirou's shield, who then whipped the back end of his spear across the Boss's face. "Didn't anyone tell you not to bite a lady?" He quipped. Yukira just rolled her eyes, performing a Sharp Nail, with a rapid five hit Linear from Asuna, the first HP bar was now empty.

"Okay the halfway point. Let's start putting on the hurt you guys!" Kouichirou barked, readying his first attack, the tip of his spear began glowing purple, He spun in a circle, hitting the boss monster across the face, leaving a large cut, blocking Lobo's jaw and hitting it under the mouth, finishing with a big thrust right behind the neck.

Kirito was next, going for a Sonic Leap, jumping high into the air, delivering a punishing blow to Lobo's back left hindquarters, following with another Slant. Lobo struggled to keep on its feet, but the combo had done its dirty work, the second HP gauge quickly falling down into the yellow area. "Go Asuna! Finish it now!" He called to her.

The younger Yuuki sibling nodded, charging up her next attack, going for the strongest Oblique she could manage, before finishing it with a whopping six hit Linear combo, squeezing them off as quickly as she could manage, and to her satisfaction, sending the HP to empty. Lobo the Dire Wolf let out one last howl before winking out of existence in blue-green light.

Asuna sank to her knees, totally exhausted, when the menu screen popped in front of her, signally she had leveled up. Her eyes widened. "Wow, I made it to Level 3!" Kouichirou and Kirito were at Levels 5 and 4 respectively, so she still had a way to go in order to catch up to the boys. She then read the extra text underneath. "Uh, Kouichirou, what does this mean?" She asked. Kouichirou knelt over to look at the menu, a grin forming on his face.

"Well how about that? You got the last attack bonus!" Kouichirou grabbed his sister, crying mock tears. "I'm so proud of you, Asuna! You're turning into a true gamer!" He wiped away mock tears, much to Asuna's consternation and the amusement of their fellow adventurers. "Let's see what you got here." He looked closer, "Fang of Lobo…Hmm. Asuna, bring this thing out of your inventory. Let's take a closer look at it."

She obliged, and a long tooth, slightly yellowed suddenly appeared in Asuna's hands. She turned it over to inspect it from every angle. "I think this is one of fangs of the boss we just beat." Handing it to her brother. "But, why would they give this to me? I don't see how this can be useful"

Yukira chuckled. "Quite the contrary. That fang is going to be very useful to you! It's a rare potions item. You can take it, grind it down and add it to potions that have different effects. I believe that Dire Wolf fangs can produce an instant level up."

Kouchirou whistled. "She's exactly right. I took down a Dire Wolf on the fourth floor during the beta, and I received one of the fangs, and I used it to automatically level up. Granted, you'll need to work on your cooking skill first. I think cooking needs to be at least level 10 and above to make that kind of potion, but you should hang onto it, Asuna."

Asuna nodded, putting the fang back into her inventory. It might be a good idea to begin working on her cooking skill, who knows? It might help them down the line if they needed a good meal.

(November 13th, 2022 AD Tokyo Hilton Hotel, Tokyo Japan)

The grand ballroom was filled to capacity, long tables of food and other refreshments were set up, but the six hundred people currently occupying the space weren't exactly focused on that. The families of the SAO victims had gathered because a representative of the Japanese government had called them there, and they were all anxious hoping they had a solution to solve this bizarre crisis. Yukimura, Hitomi, and Shouzou were among those in attendance,

"Where's Kyoko, Shou? I figured she would be here." The Sanada patriarch said, taking in the sight of all the families, worry and concerned etched on every single face. It was equal parts depressing and heartening, everyone was suffering the same pain, but now they could stand together and try to overcome the ordeal.

Shouzou gave an uncharacteristically crude snort. "Kyoko said her place was at the office. She had the unmitigated gall to blame Kouichirou for this mess! 'If he hadn't given his sister that ridiculous game to begin with, neither of them would be in this predicament.' Some days I'd love nothing more than to just stick my foot up her rear end in the hope I can loosen it up some!"

He sighed, the frustration all too evident in his voice. "I'm sorry, it's just…I've spent my whole life working. I never really spent any time with my children. I was proud of Kouichirou for wanting to come work at Rect, and Asuna has one of the most giving hearts I know, but I never really took part in either of their childhoods. And now, both of their lives are at risk, and I can't do anything to help them."

Hitomi put a soothing hand on his shoulder. "It will be okay, Shouzou. It's your wife's own fault for being so cold and dead to the world. Kou and Asuna are both very smart and capable, you saw to that. You may have always been busy with your job, but you still care about your children. The fact you came here shows just how much."

The Yuuki patriarch smiled wearily. "Thanks Hitomi, I appreciate it. When we get them out of there…I'm going to make an effort to spend more time with them."

"Dad!" A voice called out, a young man who bore a striking resemblance to Yukimasa ran up. Morinobu Sanada was the eldest of Yukimura and Hitomi's sons, and had been left in charge of the main office in San Diego while the rest of the family had traveled to Japan. He practically threw himself into Hitomi's arms, relishing the loving embrace of his mother. "I hopped the first plane I could find! It's been all over the news, are Masa and Kuro okay?"

"That's what we're here to find out, son." Yukimura said, putting a reassuring hand on his eldest's shoulder. "I am glad you came out here. Mori, you remember Shouzou, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Mori managed a quick bow. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Yuuki. I'm sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances. When Mom called me, I didn't want to believe that this was happening."

"Either way, we're glad you could join us, Mori." Shouzou said.

Movement out of the corner of Yukimura's eye drew his attention to the doorway, where Mark, David, and Graham just walked in, all in full Navy Dress Blues. The Sanada Patriarch whistled, "How about that? Of all the people I expected to walk in here, he was not one of them."

"You know who that man is, Mura?" Shouzou asked, wondering what business a foreign naval officer had at this gathering, to which his friend nodded.

"Only be reputation, but that gentleman right there is Rear Admiral Mark Lamperouge, currently stationed out of Atsugi in Yamato."

"It's really the Crimson Fox?" There was a note of awe in Mori's voice. "I've heard he was a big time ace pilot in the day. But why would he come here?"

"The same reason we all here…he has a loved one trapped in the game." There was no speculation in Yuuki Shouzou's voice, as a businessman, he had learned how to read people, and Mark was an open book. "I can see it in his demeanor. The worry and regret, it's exactly the same as everyone in this room." He sidled up to Yukimura. "It might not be a bad idea to get to know him, Mura."

Yukimura smirked. "Well, I always do like meeting new people." He went over to one of the refreshment tables, picking up a couple of beers. "I think he'll welcome this."

Mark stepped out onto the balcony, just wanting some peace and quiet, while David was going through the crowd, asking questions of the others. Graham had volunteered to stay behind at the hotel and watch over Kotone in the event anything happened. The image of his precious baby girl lying in that hospital bed, the Nerve Gear covering her face, the eerie sound of the heart monitors pulsing…

He then hit himself on the back of the head. "Damn it, I have to pull myself together! This is no way for a man of my station to act!" The Crimson Fox muttered to himself, gravitating back and forth in a grievous struggle between hardened sailor and concerned father. It was the worst position any parent could be in.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end as he felt something cold brush up against him. He turned around to see a bearded man in a smartly tailored suit, holding a pair of beer bottles in hand. "Sorry about that, Admiral, needed a way to get your attention." He spoke in perfect English with no accent at all.

Yukimura offered Mark one of the bottles. "A little gift. You look like you sorely need it."

"Thanks." The Crimson Fox said, taking the bottle. He took a moment to study the other man's face before he realized whom he was talking to. "I know you who are. You're Yukimura Sanada, the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Escape Technologies. I think it's your company that has a contract with the Department of Defense to write the software programs for all the military's simulators."

"You would be correct on all accounts." Yukimura said, pointing to a regal looking woman and a young man talking with another man in a suit. "The lovely woman over there is my wife, Hitomi, and our eldest son, Morinobu. The man she's talking to is my old friend and business partner, Yuuki Shouzou, he's the CEO of Rect Industries. I get the impression we're all here for the exact same reason. Your child's trapped in the game."

"You be correct on all accounts, Mr. Sanada. My little girl, Kotone, wanted Sword Art Online so bad. I bought it for her while I was away on training maneuvers. My heart about stopped when I'm out at sea and get the message about what happened. One good thing about my station is that I can have a plane ready for me in an instant. I flew straight back to Japan." Mark shook his head. "Although, I'm still having trouble believing it."

"Believe me when I say you are not alone, Admiral." Hitomi said, eyes misting up slightly as she choked back the tears. Shouzou put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Both of our sons, Yukimasa and Kuro are trapped in the game as well. It's the worst feeling in the world…not being able to help your children when they're in mortal peril."

"Masa and Kuro will pull through, Mom. They're both tougher than people think." Mori said, giving his mother a reassuring squeeze, before directing his gaze at Shouzou. "As are Kouichirou and Asuna. I'm sure all four of them are fine right now."

"You have faith and determination, Mori. Don't ever lose it." Shouzou said, proud of the younger man's resolve. At least someone was trying to stay positive in light of the situation. "I have a feeling we'll all need it right now."

"Somebody has to, Mr. Yuuki." Mori said, a firm determination setting in his eyes. "Dad, certainly we can't try to get everyone out ourselves? If we pool our own company's resources with Rect's, and then throw in Admiral Lamperouge's Naval connections. You can't tell me between all of us combined that we wouldn't be able to come up with something to help Masa, Kuro, and the others?"

Mark smirked. "It appears the apple landed right next to the tree on this one. Your son has a good idea. Perhaps we can put our heads together and find a way to rescue not just our own kids, but everyone else." A flurry of voices drew everyone's attention, and David poked his head out of the door. "Something going on, Master Chief?"

"Admiral, it looks someone's coming out to say a few words. I think we're about to finally get some answers!"

"Thank you, David." Mark straightened himself up, smoothing out his uniform. The group entered into the hall where a man in his late thirties came out on the ballroom stage, the harsh lights reflecting off the lenses of his black rimmed glasses.

"Good evening, everyone. My name is Kikuoka Seijuro; I'm with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Technology Bureau, Second Separated Advanced Network Division." Kikuoka looked around the room at the concerned families "I know the last couple of days have been an outright nightmare for all of you, but rest assured we are doing everything in our power to rescue the victims trapped in Sword Art Online."

"We've heard a few people have died already!" One parent cried out. "How long will it take to get them out of there before this lunatic's twisted idea of a game kills anyone else?!" The entire crowd began hurling questions at Kikuoka, who just stood there, figuring it was good to let them work it out of their systems now before getting down to business.

"May I say something?" Mark spoke, as he took the stage, looking to Kikuoka who just nodded, stepping back. Confident that he had the floor, The Crimson Fox began addressing the crowd. "Good evening, everyone, my name is Rear Admiral Mark Lamperouge. Like everyone else here tonight…My child is trapped in this…twisted death game. I'm just as worried and concerned as the rest of you." He began walking across the stage. "So how about we let Mr. Kikuoka tell us what his government is going to do? That way we can begin solving this problem, and bring our loved ones home alive and well." 

"Well said, sir." Kikuoka said. "In matter of truth, both nations have agreed to work together. To that end, a special joint US/Japanese task force will be formed to resolve this crisis. The task force will send you an email with contact information, that way we can keep everyone appraised of new developments."

Satisfied with that, the crowd broke up. Kikuoka walked over to Mark, Yukimura, and the rest of their group. "Hello gentlemen." Kikuoka gave his best bow. "Mr. and Mrs. Sanada, Mr. Yuuki, and Admiral Lamperouge, I appreciate you stepping in when you did. When word got out that your children were among those trapped in SAO, we knew it was an international incident just waiting to happen. I just got off the phone with my boss, who was speaking to your boss, the Secretary of the Navy, and has appointed you as the US liaison to the task force."

"Actually, we were just talking about that." Yukimura said, putting a hand on Mori's shoulder. "My son recommended pooling our resources together. Tell me, Mr. Kikuoka…would your task force benefit from having the aid of both Digital Escape and Rect Technologies? We have some of the best minds in the world working for us, and I know they would gladly assist in rescuing those trapped in the game."

"Not to mention I know an entirely family of very adept technicians who would be more than willing to chip in." Mark chimed in. That was an understatement and he knew it…the Vashtis had been family friends of his for years. Linda and Ian were Kotone's godparents and their youngest daughter Milenia were in the same class. Nothing would keep them out of it. "We don't just want to sit around and wait. We want to be proactive in this endeavor."

"He's right." Hitomi said. "If we have the means to save them. We'll do whatever it takes."

Kikuoka gave a gracious nod. "We would be more than willing to have you all on board, we need every possible advantage in this fight."

"Then let's get to work." Mark said.


	3. Battle in the Bog

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Flash Siblings

By Storm Wolf77415 and Centurious the Azure

Battle in the Bog

(November 21st, 2022 AD Atsugi Naval Air Station)

The Sword Art Online Victim Relief Task Force had wasted no time mobilizing. Under Mark and Kikuouka's leadership they had set up headquarters inside an empty office building on the naval base with the blessing of the Secretary of the Navy himself. The room was still a mess, as it would take time to get all the equipment installed. Right now the only piece of furniture was a battered folding table and some equally battered steel chairs.

Mark sat at the head of the table, looking around at the people assembled. He looked to where a couple his age sat, a man with dark hair, slowly turning gray, black eyes framed by wire framed glasses, holding the hand of the blonde woman next to him. Ian and Linda Vashti were old friends of Mark, and two of the best engineers he knew of. Kotone and their youngest daughter, sixteen-year-old Milenia, were practically joined at the hip.

As such, she sat alongside her parents, her shoulder length brown hair held back by a white headband. Her adopted older sisters were also present. Christina, age 29, who was currently hunched over her computer, the screen illuminating her face, while she pushed her long brown hair out of her face and Feldt, age 21, were also present. Feldt was currently looking over some data on her personal tablet, a look of determination in her blue eyes, framed by chin length pink hair.

Also present was a young man of Japanese descent wearing glasses, long brown hair tied up in a ponytail. Billy Katagiri had been assigned to the task force through Kikuoka, saying he was one of the best computer specialists the Japanese government had to offer. Mark could see the calculating gleam in Billy's eyes, so he would put his faith in the young engineer.

The Crimson Fox didn't waste any time as he began speaking. "We all know why we're here, and what's at stake. I won't lie to you that this is going to be a very daunting climb. It's the first real instance of virtual terrorism ever recorded, and we're venturing into truly undiscovered territory." His features hardened. "Still, we can't give up on the people trapped in the game. So let's get to the business of solving this problem. I'll open the floor up to ideas, since we really don't where to start."

"Our first objective should be obvious." David said, his gray eyes were like two pieces of hardened steel, a perfect reflection of his many years of experience. "We need to pull those people out of the game before any more of them die!" Mark smirked. He and David had been together for almost twenty years, and knew each other inside out. The old Master Chief Petty Officer was a career naval officer, never having children of his own, but he had doted on Kotone, becoming her foster uncle.

"That will be easier said than done, Master Chief." Billy spoke in perfect English, the light of his laptop catching off the lenses of his glasses. "My preliminary evaluations of Sword Art Online's security protocols show they're almost near impenetrable." He continued gazing at the screen. "I do have to give Kayaba credit where it is due. The man is a genius. The coding for this game is so complex and yet it's so orderly as well. He clearly knew what he was doing."

"Are you saying it's impossible, Mr. Katagiri?" Feldt asked, her fingers wringing in anxiety. To which the man gave a light smirk, his fingers dancing over the keyboards. Christina couldn't help but watch, it reminded her of a classical trained pianist playing a sonata.

"I never said it was impossible, Miss Vashti. It will however be extremely difficult. There's no telling just how intricate these security protocols really are. If I make even the slightest mistake, Kayaba would know and he'd flip the switch." He leaned in slightly. "Any attempt to remove the players with brute force at this time will fail, and we will lose all of them, which is absolutely unacceptable. But I will continue to try and find a way to log them out safely."

"Okay, we're off to a good start. That's one avenue of attack, but I don't want to put all our eggs in one basket. I've seen the end result of that too many times and I won't let hit happen on my watch." Mark felt a little of his concern fall away, now that they were on the right track. But he knew it wasn't enough. He looked around. "Any other ideas? I want to cultivate as many alternatives as possible."

"How about we try tracking down Kayaba himself?" Ian offered. "Seems like the best course of action is to go straight for the source of the problem. I mean he has to be brought to justice for his crimes anyway. With a little motivation, maybe we can convince him to let everyone go, quick, easy, done."

Everyone relished that idea. David smirked, smacking his fist into his hand. "I like the way you think, Ian. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to do that, of course we many need to twist his arm a little bit."

"Easy there, Master Chief. We'll need him in one piece." Mark said, although a part of him silently agreed with his senior NCO, wanting nothing more than to personally drag Kayaba out of whatever hole he was hiding in and wring his neck. "I think we should make finding Kayaba our top priority alongside getting the people out of the game."

"It sounds to me like these two objectives both go hand in hand." Milenia chimed. "It may be a good idea to try and get them out before we find Kayaba. There's no telling what would happen if we cornered him. He wouldn't hesitate to push the button and kill everyone."

"This is all well and good, but it's going to take time! We need to do something now!" Christina didn't bother hiding her frustration. "Who knows what's going inside that world." She wrenched her hands. "I just want to know that Kotone is okay. I can't be the only one who's worried about her." Linda put an arm around her eldest daughter's shoulders.

"I understand how you feel, Chris." Mark said gently. A myriad of emotions playing out on his face, showing the Crimson Fox's intense struggle between acting as a hardened sailor, and a concerned father. "But we need to remain professional about this matter. It's not just Kotone's life at risk. It's ten thousand others." He got up from his chair, and began pacing around the room. "I want nothing more than my baby girl to be safe, but there's ten thousand other families who want the same thing." He sat back down, his face now locked into commander mode.

"I think I have something." Feldt said. "I've been looking over the game's subsystems…I think I might have found a way to hack into the Instant Messaging function." Her eyes lit up. "It might take a little doing, but I think we might be able to use this to communicate with the people trapped in the game. All it would take is the altering of a few lines of code, it would be barely noticeable."

"If we can't pull them out at this point, then at least we can get a message through to them!" Christina said, happy at the prospect of finding out if Kotone was okay. Both her and Feldt had been beside themselves upon learning of what happened to Kotone, who had been almost like another sister to them. "It looks like we have our starting point."

"That's all well and good, but what if we took it to the next level?" The pilot had been silent up to this point. He was sitting at the other end of the table, deep in thought as he tapped a pencil against the tabletop. "What if we sent someone inside?" Everyone looked to Graham. I mean, they can't log out, but that doesn't mean people can't go in right?"

"You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you are, Commander Aker." Linda said, the realization dawning in her mind, and slowly changing into horror. "You actually want to send people into the death game?" Her fears were confirmed at how Graham was gripping the pencil.

"I know how it sounds, Mrs. Vashti. But if we can't get them out straight away, it might help if we send them reinforcements. Let them know they're not alone." Graham said. Mark smirked a little as his apprentice stared at him from across the table. There was a fire in emerald eyes, a fire that came when he had a challenge to overcome.

"Keep going, Commander." Mark said. While he wasn't too keen on the idea, he knew Graham wouldn't have brought it up unless he was confident it would work.

Satisfied that he had everyone's attention, Graham got up from the table, and began walking around it. "We've copied all of SAO's data from Argus, correct? We create a second Aincrad, and put together a group of about thirty-to-forty people. This new Aincrad becomes our training ground." He said. "We move through the floors, leveling up and once we've reached a high enough level, then we enter the game."

Before Mark could give a response, the phone rang. He picked it up. "This is Lamperouge." A few seconds went by, surprise appeared on his face. "Really? Have her escorted onto the base and bring her straight here." Everyone looked expectedly as he put the phone down. "It appears we have a possible addition to our merry little band. I figure at this point in the game we can't be too picky."

After about ten minutes, the door opened, admitting a Japanese woman in her late thirties, with dark hair pulled up into a twist. "Greetings to you, Admiral Lamperouge." The woman said, bowing slightly. "You're doing me a big favor by hearing my case."

"But of course, Mrs. Kirigaya. Please have a seat." Mark held out a chair for her. Midori sat down next to Linda. Mark took his seat once again. "So, I understand you want to join the task force? I certainly won't turn you away, but if I may ask your reasons for joining."

Midori held up a small photograph of a teenaged boy with dark hair and matching eyes. "That's simple, Admiral. My son, Kazuto, is one of the players trapped in the game." She slumped in her seat. "I work as an editor for a local computer magazine. It often means very late nights, and I don't get a chance to spend much time with the kids. Kazuto is a whiz with computers; he built one out of spare parts when he was eight. I always knew he had talent."

Linda gave a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I know my way around machines, not to mention I could dig up a couple programmers if they're called for." There was no hiding the desperation in her eyes. "I just can't sit idly and wait for something to happen to my son. If there is any way I can help this task force, I'll do whatever I can, Admiral, just give me the word."

Mark just gave an understanding nod, and a pat on the shoulder. "You can start by taking a deep breath, Mrs. Kirigaya. I understand your concern. Don't forget I have a child trapped in there too. So rest assured you are in good company. In fact, I think I know exactly where to put you to work first." He looked to Linda and Feldt. "You three ladies get started on hacking the IM. It's not much but it will have to do for right now. We're on the clock people, get to work."

(November 25th, 2022 AD, Midas Castle, First Floor)

Philia's eyes widened at the sight of the massive stone castle looming over them. "So we're really going to meet with the King of the First Floor?" She was in total awe of the sight before the party. Thanks to Weiss's knowledge of what quests to take, they had managed to grab a significant among of Col, and various treasures, which had made Philia happy.

They were looking for their next quest when an NPC messenger had approached them, stating that his lord wished to meet with their group. As such they know found themselves at the entry way to the castle of King Midas.

"None other." Weiss remarked. The guards standing at the gate crossed their halberds. He held up the scroll the messenger gave to him. "Relax boys, we're here to speak with your boss. He requested our presence." One of the guards took the scroll, looking it over. They pulled their weapons aside and ushering them into the castle. Weiss led Kieran, Philia, Klein, and the rest of Fuurinkanzan inside.

One of the retainers led them into the throne room. It was about what everyone expected, with the high vaulted ceilings, and banners hanging from the walls. The most distinctive feature was the large curtain that seemed to cover the raised dais the throne sat on. "What is that curtain all about? Why is hiding himself from us?" Philia whispered to Weiss, but he only put a finger to lips.

"I'm sorry my dear, that would be spoilers…I'll tell you this right now, do not ask about the veil, Philia. King Midas is very sensitive about it. Just let me do all the talking." Weiss stepped forward, going to one knee. "Greetings and salutations to you, King Midas. We have received your summons and have arrived." Philia and Klein noticed how smooth he addressed their host, as if he had done it before.

"Thank you for responding so promptly." A shadowy figure spoke from behind the curtain. "I've heard of your exploits as of late, brave adventurers, and I am in desperate need of your assistance. Will you hear my story?" Weiss just bowed his head in deference, and the king began his tale.

"For many centuries we have been at war with Illfang, Lord of the Kobolds who inhabit the forest not too far from here. They have an item that is capable of creating a Philosopher's Stone, which could provide us with enough gold to keep our kingdom prosperous for a very long time. However, the Kobolds are a hardy breed, and have managed to push back our advances time and again."

Philia immediately lit up at the mention of the word gold. Even Klein seemed primed to go after the treasure. Weiss just smirked. "What exactly is this item you seek, King Midas?"

Midas sighed. "It's called a Transposing Kiln. It's located deep within the Kobold Forest. There's a nature deity the foul beasts worship who is the guardian of the kiln. No human has ever seen this place, or returned from it alive to tell the tale, and with good reason." All of a sudden the enthusiasm the party had for the mission dwindled some.

"And why is that?" Klein asked nervously.

"Because the Kobolds would offer up humans in a sacrificial ritual, throwing their bodies into the Kiln to create their lord's wealth. The Forest God found favor with them because they would feed him the remaining blood from the ritual. It's said that from all this sacrifice a new god would be birthed, and the Kobolds would finally be able to vanquish humanity from the realm entirely."

Philia shivered as Kieran cringed. "Wow, grim much?" He remarked quietly.

Weiss was nonplussed. "Can you excuse us, your majesty? I need to confer with my comrades." He turned to face the others. "I know how it sounds guys, but if we don't clear this quest, it will make taking down the floor boss that much more difficult. The Forest God will accompany the Kobold Lord, and depending on who dies first, the survivor will consume their flesh and become the new god. It's a nightmare! If we do not succeed in this quest, that will be the outcome of the final boss. We do this now, we make getting to the second floor that much easier. It's not just for us, it's for everyone."

"Have you…done this before, bro?" Kieran asked. "Because I get the impression you have."

Weiss bowed his head slightly. "I suppose I can't hide it forever. Yes, I have done this before…because I was a beta tester for SAO. When I started taking this particular chain of quests, and found myself here. I…decided not to go ahead with it. When we got to the boss room, it was a capital "D", disaster!" He looked to his comrades. "I understand if you're scared, but we gotta step up."

"So it's pretty much, life and death?" Klein sighed, face palming, before a wan grin crossed his face. "Heh, we're in a death game after all…I suppose it only makes sense we'd run into scenarios like this. So what do we get if we succeed in this quest? Because the reward had better be huge!"

"Your guess is as good as mine. We'll find out when we complete it." Weiss said, looking from his brother to Philia, to Klein. "If we decide to do this, it needs to be unanimous. We all need to be in agreement, because there's so much at stake. I'm prepared to put my life on the line…are the rest of you?"

"You don't have to tell me twice, bro. I'm with you for the long haul." Kieran's black eyes were harder than before. They reminded Philia of two pairs of polished obsidian. "We'll have to face the threat eventually, so we may as well get it over with. I say we go for it and see where it takes us."

Klein still looked uneasy, he looked to his guild mates, who simply gave nods of approval. As the guild leader, they all trusted him to do the right thing and would have his back. "Okay, I'm on board, then. If taking this out means we have an easier time of clearing the floor, then so be it." With that, the three boys looked to Philia, as she held the final vote.

She bit her lip nervously. Philia remembered everything Kayaba had said that fateful day, but she hadn't really thought about the deeper ramifications. This was a true death game, and any decisions made would have lasting consequences. Still, there was a part of her that urged her to say yes, this world was dangerous, but that was part of the thrill, the desire to keep going and seeing what was over the next hill. Philia knew what her father would do. "I'm in, let's see what happens with this quest. We may just get something good out of it after all."

Weiss smirked. "Then it's decided. I love it when everyone was on the same page." Satisfied, he turned back to the dais, once giving a slight bow. "Don't worry about a thing, Your Majesty. We've got this under control. We'll get the Kiln for you, and return before you know it."

"That is what I like to hear!" Midas said, his joy evident. "Rest assured you do this for me, I will reward you handsomely." Weiss and the rest of the party bowed, and departed from the throne room, and the castle proper.

"The Kobold Forest is just to the west of the castle, we should get there by late morning." Weiss said. His words proved true, and the tree line of a gnarled, sinister looking forest slowly came into view. Philia was a little nervous at the sight of the place, but it was then that she locked eyes with Weiss, who just flashed a rather suave grin at her. She blushed slightly, glad her foster father and brother weren't there to see it!

"This place is giving me a bad vibe." Klein noted, the hair on the back of his neck prickling, his hand going for his curved one-handed sword.

Weiss seemed to be enjoying the overall feel of the forest. "It's actually not that bad…in a creepy, oppressive sort of way. If this wasn't a death game, I'd be enjoying the sheer ambiance of the place. Makes me wonder if Kayaba hired Team Silent to get everything just right. At this point I'm expecting the Lying Figure from Silent Hill 2 than a kobold to come out of the brush."

"Help! Somebody please help me!" a withered old voice rang through the upper levels of the trees. Everyone broke into a run, following the sound of the calls for help. They soon found the source, a cage strung up in one of the trees. Standing inside was an elderly looking man in a blue cloak and bandages. "It's about time! Could you get me down?" the man asked. Before anyone could respond, a horde of Kobolds erupted from the bushes, surrounding the party.

To Weiss these creatures seemed even wilder than normal, he would even go so far as to call them feral. "Let's take them down guys!" He said, drawing the one handed sword sheathed on his back. The fight was a one-sided one to be sure; the Kobolds were felled in short order. Thanks to a running start and a boost from Klein and Kieran, Philia managed to cut the cage down. A single swipe of Kieran's sword freed the old man.

"I am forever in your debt, brave adventurers. Thank you for setting me free from that awful cage. I feared that the Kobolds would turn me into their lunch." The old man in bandages bowed low. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Dunleth, one of the foremost masters of the art of Pyromancy. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in the way of money, but perhaps you'd be willing to learn my craft?" He held up his hand, and to everyone's surprise, a small flame ignited in his palm. "I'm certain such capable warriors would be able to find some use for it."

"Wow." was all Klein could say.

"That's amazing." Philia looked in awe at the display in front of her. She looked to Weiss and Kieran in confusion. "Is this…magic?"

"It looks like it to me. But that shouldn't be possible. I thought that the whole point of the game was supposed to be pure melee, it is the reason it's called Sword Art Online after all." Kieran said, looking to his brother. "You're the beta tester, Could it be some glitch in the game's code?"

"Who knows?" Weiss said, a part of him eager at the concept of learning this strange new magic. "Although, it wouldn't hurt to take this guy up on his offer. We're going to need every edge we can get in taking down that boss monster." He walked up to Dunleth, offering a slight bow. "We would love to learn your art, Master Dunleth. When do we begin?"

Dunleth chuckled. "Superb. You have all made a wise choice, young adventurers. I guarantee your time won't be a waste." He reached into his cloak, producing a weathered looking old book. "So let's begin." It had taken a few hours but soon Weiss, Kieran, Philia, and Klein were now the proud owners of four new pyromancy spells. Philia held a fireball in her hand, watching the flames dance.

"For a glitch, I don't mind this one bit." Klein said, a slightly mad gleam in his eye from watching a stream of fire erupt from his hands, setting a cluster of bushes aflame. "Think we'll get a chance to try this out on some enemies soon? I want to watch some Kobolds burn!" He let out a cackle of made glee before setting his flames on a large tree.

Weiss snorted. "I thought you said a few days ago that magic wasn't for true men, Klein, that all they needed was their indomitable will and one sharp sword."

"That was before I saw how awesome it is!" Klein retorted. The small band of adventures continued through the forest. The tip of a stone tower soon loomed over the trees. "Hey, check it out guys. I see what looks like a tower of some kind. If there's a tower, there must be some kind of town. Let's check it out."

"Uh, that's not the only thing!" Philia said, pointing upwards. "It looks like there's somebody on top of it…and he's huge!" Everyone could see the shadowed figure standing atop the battlements of the tower. Everyone looked to each other, a silent understanding that they may want to pick up the pace, so the four broke out into a run, heading down the trail as fast as their legs could carry them.

A shrill whistle suddenly began reverberating through the forest, off every tree and rock. "What is that?" Kieran asked, looking up, down and everywhere in between, as the whistling got louder and louder. He then looked straight up. "Oh shit!" He yelled. "Everybody scatter!" It took a few seconds for Weiss and the others to take the hint. As such they just barely avoided the six-foot long arrow, made of a wood of the purest white any of them had ever seen.

"What the hell?" Klein asked, taking in the projectile that had almost killed them. "Look at the size of that thing! It's massive!"

Weiss groaned. "That bastard…Kayaba increased the giant archer's range. Just what we didn't need! Everyone, we're almost to the tower, but watch those arrows. Something very big is launching them." A few more minutes led them to a large clearing in the forest, where they found a small shantytown at the base of the tower. A large swarm of Kobolds were attacking the NPCs.

Also present was a lone female player currently fending off a few of the beasts. The young woman entranced Weiss. She had a slender build; short dark hair framed a solemn looking face. Her attire was colored a deep forest green. A black top and short shorts underneath, showing off her smooth, tight rear end, a simple looking dagger clenched in her hand. She stabbed one of the monsters in the back, kicking another in the head before slashing across another's belly.

"Hey, you all right?" He called out to the girl, who gave him a look that said 'are you kidding me?' Weiss took the hint, snapping into command mode. "Okay guys, let's clear these mobs out. And remember to watch out for those arrows as well!" the girl's eyes widened, producing what appeared to be a gnarled branch, a branch of white wood. She began madly waving it about. The figure atop the tower seemed to react to this. The next arrow that flew wasn't aimed at Weiss and his party, but a massive horde of Kobolds charging at them, which were promptly crushed under the projectile.

"Don't worry, he won't target you anymore!" The girl called out, stabbing a Kobold in the chest before finishing it off by decapitation. The telltale whistling sound erupted, signaling another giant arrow was on its way. Klein had just beaten back a Kobold when the projectile crashed down inches in front of him. He looked around, amazed that he wasn't dead, only to see the Kobold impaled on the end, twitching before vanishing into blue hued oblivion.

Weiss smirked. "Hey Klein, you wanted to put the pyros to the test?" He conjured a massive ball in both hands. "Here's your chance! It's time to cut loose!" He hurled the fire ball with all his might, tossing into a swarm of Kobolds, sending many of them flying into the air, sporting numerous heavy burns before popping out of existence.

Philia conjured a pair of fireballs, winding up with an underhand serve, catching another Kobold in the head. Kieran opened his mouth to warn her of a another coming up from behind her, but she graceful spun in place, lobbing another fireball, reducing the hapless monster to sparks on the wind. She gave him a playful smile "I played softball for three years, starting pitcher!"

Kieran said nothing, instead preferring to use his new flame surge power to roast more Kobolds, the mobs withering under the continuing stream of flames. After another five minutes the remaining mobs fell to the combined might of the party's blades and new flame powers. Klein smirked as the last Kobold was destroyed courtesy of a well-placed Reaver skill to the face.

With the immediate threat over, Weiss sized up the new arrival. She held her dagger at her side, her hand twitching slightly. "I suppose I should thank you for coming when you did." Her voice was terse, and there was a suspicious gleam in her eyes, wondering if her rescuers were going to turn around and betray her.

Weiss decided a show of good faith was in order, sheathing his sword, a gesture his brother and other companions soon mirrored. "There, is that better for you?" He asked, hands out in a placating manner. This seemed to satisfy the girl, returning her own weapon to its place on her hip.

"Sorry, the last few days have been rather difficult for me. So I'm just a little tense." The girl put a hand on her hip. "I'm Sinon, thanks for showing up when you did. I wasn't if I could stop them alone."

Weiss held out his hand. "Weiss, this is my brother, Kieran, the girl's Philia, and the dude with the bandana is Klein. You've been traveling alone this whole time?"

"Since I left the Town of Beginnings." Sinon remembered the day she set out, three weeks after the start of the game when most of the other players had already left. "I spent some time leveling up, so I felt pretty confident about dealing with the mobs in the fields, but when I reached this forest…" Her teeth and hands both clenched in a way that Weiss found cute for some reason. "I thought I was in trouble until I reached the village."

"Then you maybe you know something about this tower right?" Klein asked. "Like where those giant white arrows came from?" He indicated to one of the projectiles was still embedded in the ground.

"Oh that? I guess I need to introduce you to the big guy." Sinon pointed upward.

Everyone followed her direction, and the source of the arrows became all too evident. A giant of a man towered over the small party of adventurers, nearly twenty feet in height, shirtless with leather pants. Clutched in his hand was a giant bow, and hanging from his hip was a quiver of arrows both fashioned from the same white wood. "I help any time." The giant said.

"How did you manage to get this guy's aid?" Weiss asked Sinon.

"I found this weird white branch." Sinon produced one from her inventory. Weiss took note of how it resembled the giant's bow and arrows. "When I showed it to him, he said that he would help me no matter what. I've been looking for more of these branches. Apparently there are these special white birch trees and they hold a lot of importance in this forest."

"Let me see that." Weiss took the branch, giving it an appraising glare. He smirked. "Oh yes…I can say with all confidence that this branch will prove to be a huge asset to us down the line." He gave it back to Sinon, looking up to the large giant before turning to his other companions. "This is no coincidence…Mr. Big up there is here to help us finish this quest."

He looked to Sinon. "You were the one who triggered this event, right?" She nodded, not certain where this whole thing was going. Weiss laughed. "In that case, you'll want to join us for the next phase of this quest! He's going to provide you with a very nice reward! How many of those white branches did you collect?"

Sinon quickly checked her inventory, scrolling through her menu before finding the item in question. "I managed to pick up about seven of them. Why do you ask?"

"Just hold onto them, you'll find out in due time." He set his gaze on the bow the giant was holding. "In due time." Weiss cleared his throat. "Okay, the forest temple where the god the Kobolds worship is due west of this very tower. Between the five of us, our new powers, and our large friend, we have a very good chance of clearing it. So let's get in there and get the job done."

With the two new additions to the party, they set out into a part of the forest that seemed to be the darkest any of them had ever seen, the forest canopy was so thick, no sun seemed able to penetrate it. Philia shivered, hand going down to her weapon, a dagger with a jagged edge called Sword Breaker. "Am I the only one who's feeling a serious bad vibe here?" She asked.

"It's the aura of the forest god himself." Weiss explained. "Remember the story King Midas told us, the Kobolds have been feeding it the blood from the human sacrifices for untold generations. It's corrupted this entire patch of the woods. Once we take that thing out, the forest should begin returning to normal."

It wasn't long before they found the entrance to the temple, a gnarled old elm tree, twisted and rotting in places. "This is it, you guys." Weiss said, pulling out his longsword, while Kieran drew his own weapon of choice, a falchion. Klein brought up his curved one-handed sword. Philia and Sinon both readied their daggers. The giant already had an arrow strung up. Weiss took one last breath, leading his team into the temple.

There was a foul odor in the air, causing Philia to hold her nose shut to stave off the stench. Weiss just grimaced as they made their way through the narrow passage, disgorging into a wide area, ringed by trees, the canopy creating a high ceiling. In the center of the room a massive, eerie looking tree, hideously deformed and rotting to the core sat, almost two-dozen feral Kobolds were kneeling around this tree, worshipping it madly.

"That's their god?" Klein asked, glad that this was all just a virtual representation, because he was feeling a desperate need to find the nearest thicket to empty his stomach into it. "It's a giant tree…at least I think it's a tree, kind of hard to tell with how messed up it looks. That's really the Kobolds worship? That's really what we came here to kill?"

"You got it, Klein." Kieran said. "But you forget, one thing wood doesn't do so well against is fire!" He formed a fireball in one hand. "It has a tendency to burn!" The flaming projectile flew in a high arc, splashing against the malformed wood; flames slowly began spreading along the bark. This got the attention of the madly worshipping Kobolds, snarling in rage at those who would dare lay a hand on their lord and master.

Philia raised her dagger to block the axe of a Kobold, stabbing it in the shoulder before kicking it away. She thrust a hand out, emanating a stream of flames, roasting the hapless monster, before finishing it off with Sword Breaker. She looked over her shoulder at Sinon, dragging her blade through the midsection of a Kobold, ending by jamming her dagger into its clavicle.

Klein fired off a Reaver, downing a pair of Kobolds before launching a big fireball at a third. Weiss leapt out to take the beast down. Kieran ran in, Falchion charged in, going for a quick one-two slashing attack, and a Reaver as a coup de grace. Three Kobolds raced in, only to be flattened by one of the Giant's massive arrows. "Thanks big guy!" He waved.

It was then the entire temple shook as a massive roar echoed off the trees. The gnarled old plant in the center of the room began to stir, before picking its withered, battered body off the floor. "You wanted something to fight, Klein? How about that?" Weiss pointed with his blade. As four HP bars materialized alongside the monster and "The Curse-Rotted Greatwood" appeared in orange text above the monster.

"Anyone who has magic, get ready to use it!" Kieran announced, putting his falchion away, igniting a pair of fireballs in his hand up. Klein watched as flames began dancing around his free hand. Weiss and Sinon were the first to attack, Weiss charged a Slant attack, while Sinon readied her own skill, leaving a pair of red wire frame marks along the monster's wooden flesh.

Weiss jumped up as he finally let loose his own attack, slashing upwards, taking off another part of the boss monster's HP, before opening up with a surging rush of flames, the jet of fire running up the trunk, causing the Greatwood to roar in pain. Weiss saw a quartet of Kobolds rush him, he said nothing simply dispatching them each with a few slashes.

The tree monster roared, whipping about with the withered appendages that could have been called branches or roots at one point. Philia barely had time to escape getting hit. She charged up a fireball, hurling it at the monster while reading her dagger. Her eyes caught something. There had been several large sacs across its body, reminiscent of fungus. The flames popped one of the sacs, causing it to roar in pain, causing a significant amount of its HP to drop, nearly emptying the first bar.

"Go for the sacs, it's the weak point!" Philla called out. She went in for a sword skill, destroying it in a single swipe, knocking the Greatwood's HP into its second bar before throwing out a fireball at another one of the sacs. Klein immediately leapt after another one, only to be hit by one of the monster's whips, sending him flying back, digging a large trench in the ground.

The giant let loose with one of its arrows, Sinon whistled as it knocked away a third of the second health bar. "Wow, this guy is really making a big difference!" She said, before downing one of the other Kobolds.

"I never triggered this guy when I played through this area in the Beta Test." Weiss looked to Sinon. "Where did you get this information from?"

"Some information broker named Argo." Sinon shrugged. "Had this annoying habit of vanishing and reappearing when you least expected to…or wanted. Who did she think she was, Ada Wong?" She snorted. "Either way, everyone says She said this quest would pay off big, so I figured I'd give it a try. I just never expected it to be like this!"

"Yeah, you made a good call." Weiss said, watching as the Giant let a pair of his massive arrows fly, managing to puncture another sac. Kieran then let loose a stream of fire, knocking the monster's HP to its third bar. "That's it you guys! We're doing great!" The monster then roared, leaping up about six feet in the air, before hitting the ground in a full out body slam, shattering the floor beneath everyone to reveal a dark pit.

"Heads up!" Klein yelled, as the party, the Kobolds, and their master spiraled down into the abyss. Everyone came to, finding their HP bars at around a quarter of their full capacity, and the Curse-Rotted Greatwood was looming over them. The monster's fleshy, rotten stomach began bulging, when a giant, pale hand erupted from it, and it was zoned in on Sinon.

"Look out!" Weiss yelled, pushing the dagger user out of the way, the massive appendage slamming into the way, leaving a massive handprint in the solid rock. He would have found it comical if he weren't trying to stay alive. "You okay?" He asked her.

"Just a little shook up." Sinon said. Looking to the giant mark in the wall. The deformed tree monster roared, looking to throw the giant fist out once again. But this time, it was stopping its tracks by a giant, white arrow, causing it to roar in pain, knocking off the last of its third health bar. The two looked up to their massive ally, who just gave a stoic nod to them. Sinon smirked. "That investment really paid off!"

"Yeah, and it will pay off one last time." Weiss said, rallying the party for the final leg of the battle. "Let's finish this fight, you guys. Aim for the puss sacs and the giant hand." He looked to his brother. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" The Ikaruga brothers cupped their hands at their sides, flames gathering to create a massive fireball. "HADOKEN!" They both yelled hurling the projectiles at the monster, catching it in the side.

Now on its final HP bar, The Curse Rotted Greatwood had gone flat out psycho, falling all over itself in a tangle mass of limbs, lashing out with its tentacles and using the giant hand to hit anything remotely near it, almost crushing Sinon and Klein. It then began slamming its crooked, withered wooden body onto the ground, causing the pus sacs to intentionally pop, sending the foul smelling fluid all over the place.

"Ewww…" Philia said, once again pinching her nose shut at the rancid stench of the acid spewing all over the place. She noted with some distress how it was melting through the very rock that made up the walls surrounding them. Her stomach turned a little at the thought of what it could be. "That is the nastiest thing I have ever smelled in my entire life!"

"Suck it up, dandelion girl!" Sinon said, flipping out of the way to avoid getting hit by the giant hand, causing more acid to fly out, and begin melting, before responding by slashing at its palm. "I don't like the stench either but we can't let that stop it!" She watched as the hand lanced out again, thus causing more of the disgusting fluid to splatter along the ground and begin melting, steam rising in the humid air.

Weiss drew his blade, he suddenly was struck by inspiration, conjuring up another fireball, but instead of throwing it, he ran his hand along the length of the blade, coating it in flames. "Let's see how you like a sword skill topped off with some fire! Say hello to my little friend!" He went into a Sonic Leap, jumping high into the air to bring his blade down on one of the larger pus sacs.

The flaming blade found its mark, causing the sac to burst, spraying the sickly looking whitish-green fluid all over. The monster roared, going for another body slam, causing the entire pit to shake, everyone struggled to keep their footing. "Not going to help you this time!" Weiss aid. The hand lashed out once again, but this time Weiss was ready, bringing his blade up to his shoulder, the flames illuminating his face in the dark cavern.

Letting out a large yell, he swung with all his might, slashing across the palm of the hand, before thrusting the tip of his blade into the palm, keeping it from retracting back into the trunk. "Klein, Kieran here's your chance!" He called to his teammates, straining with every bit of his strength to keep the hand out.

The two swordsmen came in on both sides, their respective blades now on fire as well. This would their last attempt to destroy this thing once and for all. Klein and Kieran readied a powerful overhead strike, the two swords came down, chopping the monster's hand clean off. The Curse-Rotted Greenwood let out one more roar before glowing blue for a few seconds and exploding in shower of broken light.

"Oh yes!" Philia cheered, the word "Congratulations!" in bold white text, appeared in the air, indicating the quest had been cleared. A menu blinked to life in front of Philia, indicating the experience points and Col she had won for helping to bring down the monster.

Weiss didn't pay much attention to the XP and Col, what drew his attention was the item on the ground where the monster had fallen. It was a sphere, crafted from a stitched crystal lizard hide. It gave off a slightly menacing aura. He bent down to pick it up. "The Transposing Kiln…Midas will be happy to see this."

Kieran groaned, stretching his arms out. "Damn, that was insane. So by taking that oversized stump out we made clearing the first floor easier?"

"That is the general consensus." He smirked a little. "I have to admit, I'm liking how the story is unfolding so far." The others looked at him confusedly, so he began to break it down for them. "This tree was probably a peaceable deity at one point. Shinto tradition relates that running water can purify anything. On the obverse side, stagnant water is poisonous, and corrupts everything that comes into contact with it. The Kobolds in all their infinite wisdom put the corpses from their sacrifices next to the roots, the blood seeped in and contaminated the ground water."

Weiss indicated to the water covering the ground. "If I had to guess. This used to be an underground spring, note how stagnant and filthy this water has become, due to all the blood that flowed in. Imagine what kind of spiritual impurities and diseases this water contained, and what it did to that tree."

"It warped it and gave the thing life!" Sinon began to catch on.

"Yeah, and that's only the beginning." Weiss said. 'It afflicted the kobolds as well. It was kind of like they all had rabies. It wasn't only the forest god feeding on the poisoned ground water. It was everything in the forest. I dare say that by killing the Greatwood, not only have we made the job of clearing the first floor easier, we have also played a part in purifying the forest."

"Hey you guys!" Philia called out. "I found something!" The others raced over to where she was looking at a hole in the wall that hadn't been there a few moments ago. "I saw this just now. I think it opened up once we took down the boss." Philia led the party into the tunnel, which opened up on a small room with a series of treasure chest littering the place. Her eyes widened and a happy squeal rang out from her lips. "Yay! Treasure!"

She gingerly went to the first chest, rubbing her hands together, her blood pumping in excitement. "There's nothing like the anticipation of opening a chest and finding what's inside! I hope it's something good!" A single tug and the lid flew open. Philia was awestruck. "Now that's what I call treasure!" She pulled the contents out.

"No kidding!" Klein said. "Hello beautiful!" he looked on at the ornate katana in Philia's hand. It had a brass tsuba, and the handle was wrapped in twine colored a brilliant crimson, trimmed with gold, matching the lacquered red sheath. "Okay, I'm calling dibs on that right now!" He took the blade from Philia's hand, giving it a kiss before putting it into his inventory.

"Hey, I wanted that, too!" Weiss pouted. Philia cleared her throat, showing the contents of the second chest she had opened, a second katana with a black manji handguard in a midnight blue sheath. Weiss took the blade, pulling it out slightly to reveal it had a blade made of Damascus steel. The mostly dark blue blade sprinkled with a lighter blue color. "I could kiss you right now, Philia." He said, causing her to start blushing.

"I'll admit they're both nice, bro, but it's not exactly like you and Klein can use them at the moment." Kieran pointed out.

"Don't care." Weiss said as Philia opened the rest of the chests, there wasn't anything else of real value expect for some large amounts of Col, but in all they had come away with a very nice haul. The party departed from the Forest Temple, returning to the stone tower.

It was then he looked to their large ally and his bow and arrow. He turned to Sinon. "Hey, you remember what I said about those white branches? Give them to our tall friend, now is the time."

Sinon wordlessly opened her menu, her arms now full of the white branches, handing them to the giant. "Wait here." He rumbled in his deep voice, before disappearing into the tower.

"So what is this all about?" Sinon asked.

"We came out with a nice haul today. The Kiln itself, those two katanas, and a big wad of cash." Weiss remarked, not looking at his companions. He turned to point at Sinon. "But you, my dear, have gotten the best reward of all, in the beta test there were rumors of a certain group of skills that stood apart from all the rest…they were called Unique Skills and truly lived up to that title. They are one of a kind and extremely rare. Our large friend is the caretaker of one of those skills…the Archery skill!"

"Of course, how many people do you see using bows and arrows in this game?" Klein said, giving Sinon a light pat on the shoulder. "You really did get the best reward of all." The giant emerged from the tower, kneeling before Sinon, in his hand was a smaller version of the weapon he had used earlier, the main part of the bow consisted of two intertwined pieces of white birch.

Sinon took the weapon with a great reverence, in addition to the quiver of white arrows, decorated with black feathers. She could tell from first glance that both weapons were made of a superior craftsmanship. "Thank you so much." She said, admiring her new prize. Curious, she opened her menu, and to her satisfaction, saw that a new sub menu was added under the weapon skills clearly marked. "Archery."

The giant just gave a silent nod before marching back into the tower, his part in the quest finished. "Well, let's get back to the castle so we can deliver the Transposing Kiln to King Midas." Weiss said. "Makes me wonder if everything he touches will turn to gold?" He stifled a laugh.

(November 27th, 2022 AD, King Midas's Castle.)

"Splendid! Splendid!" There was no hiding the elation in the king's voice as Weiss presented the Transposing Kiln to him. "Well done, brave adventurers. You have proven yourselves very capable. Not to mention you've done the forest a great favor by disposing of the Curse Rotted Greatwood. Those woods have been plagued by that monster's poison for far too long."

"We are glad to be of service, your majesty." Weiss gave a respectful bow, the others following suit.

"You're all too modest. Well, as I am a man of my word. I will now give your hard earned reward." The party heard the sound of a light clapping, and one of the King's retainers entered, carrying what appeared to a worn looking book with a plain, black leather cover. "Take this as a sign of my appreciation and gratitude."

Weiss took the book, not sure what to make of it. He opened it up to the first page. His eyes widened and a grin crossed his face as he saw the contents of the book. "We'll take it!" He tossed the book to Klein, who opened it. It was a training manual for the use of the katana. Both Klein and Weiss checked their ability trees, seeing that "Katana" was now on the list.

"This manual was written by a great swordsman from a foreign land. He would travel from kingdom to kingdom helping to train their armies. He would leave a copy of this book behind to help those who wished to take up his art. I'm certain you can find some use for it?" Midas asked, a knowing pitch to his voice.

"Oh, I think we can do that quite easily, your Majesty." Weiss said, silently cursing the fact that he had not taken this quest earlier. Not only did was battle against Illfang far easier than last time, but now he had early access to the katana skill tree! Not to mention Sinon had possession of a Unique Skill, he felt a certain sense of hope that they could actually beat this game!

"But that is not all. I also wish you have to this." The clapping sound came again, and another retainer emerged carrying a banner made of light that bore the mark of the kingdom. "When you finally confront that foul beast, Illfang, I desire you fly my colors, my knights will aid you in the battle to come."

Kieran grinned. "Wow, Christmas really did come early!"

(November 29th, 2022 AD, Tolbana Village)

Asuna's shoulders sagged as she stood under the falling water of the shower; it was as close to heaven as she had ever gotten since the nightmare of the death game that was Sword Art Online started. Their party had recently arrived in Tolbana Village after travelling the last few weeks, and she was exhausted. Holding her nose she fell back into the tub with a big splash, letting the water spray everywhere.

She came up with a gasp, luxuriating in the warm, soapy water. Even if the whole thing was just a simulation, Asuna could feel the dust from the trail sticking to her body as she sweated from the sun. As such she was incredibly relieved to finally reach civilization and be able to get properly cleaned up. Going back underwater, Asuna reflected on everything that happened. She hugged her knees, taking in the silence.

As such, she didn't hear the doorknob turning, and the door opening. "Hey Asuna?" Kirito called out. "Your brother and Yukira are waiting downstairs for…us." That was the moment Asuna emerged from the water, revealing her full glory to the young swordsman. It took a couple moments for them to realize what had happened, giving Kirito plenty of time to admire Asuna's body.

Once that happened, Asuna gave the obligatory scream of distress, grabbing a bar of soap and throwing it at his head. "What are you doing? Get out of here, you perv!" She screeched. Kirito decided it was time to get out of dodge, slamming the door behind him. Asuna groaned in frustration, getting out of the tub and quickly getting dressed. She came out of her room to find Kirito standing in the hall, an apologetic grin on his face. "Do not say a word, or I will tell my brother about this!"

"Yes ma'am…" Kirito managed weakly. He knew all too well what the elder Yuuki sibling could do with that spear of his and wanted no part of being on the wrong end of it! "Uh, your brother and Yukira are downstairs, thought we could have dinner together." Asuna said nothing, just matching down the hall. Kirito just sighed, he really did not need this.

In the meantime, Kouichirou and Yukira were sitting downstairs in the hotel's café. He found something alluring about the white-haired swordswoman. Even with all his skill, he had been drawn to how graceful she had been. Kou wasn't sure if love at first sight existed, but he couldn't deny there was something about Yukira he enjoyed.

He was so fixated on looking at her, Yukira was finding it just a little bit on the creepy side. So she reached over to flick him on the forehead, stopping his daydream from going any further. "Do I need to water you and point you toward the light?" She asked. "I thought we were having a conversation, Spear Chucker."

Kouichirou was quick to correct her. "Okay, let's clear something up right now. For the record, Spartans never threw their Dory spears; those things are way too heavy to fly very far. They had javelins for that role. " His rant would have continued if a delicate hand came up to cover his mouth.

"Chill out, I was kidding." Yukira rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, you're as bad as my boss is when it comes to these kind of things." She let out an annoyed sigh as she leaned one arm on the table. "Of course that backstabbing son of a bitch is the reason I'm trapped in this hell to begin with! When we get out of here, the first thing I'm going to do is march into that bastard Kayaba's office and kick him square in the balls!"

It was at that moment that Kirito and Asuna walked up to the table, having heard their companion's entire rant. "Say that again?" Kirito said, frozen to where he was standing. "You…work for Kayaba?"

Yukira folded her arms, sitting back in her chair. "Yeah, I didn't stutter. Let me introduce myself properly. In the real world, my name is Mochizuki Ayami. I worked in Argus's Public Relations department. My job was promoting Sword Art Online, and as such I got a free code for the game." There was no hiding the anger in her eyes. "I was actually quite eager to see what the boss cooked up, but my excitement kind of died after he trapped us here."

Kirito opened his mouth, but he was quickly silenced by a sharp glare from Yukira. "And don't get on me about how we're not supposed to talk about our real selves in the game. I could care less!" She let out a frustrated groan. "Maybe I should have taken a hint, I did see a full set of the Hunger Games on his bookshelf." This elicited a slight giggle from Asuna, who quickly stifled it, but Yukira gave a slight smile of her own. "Glad to see you're able to find the humor in this, at least someone can get a laugh."

"I will say I'm glad you decided to stick with us, Yukira. I know Asuna appreciates having another girl to talk to. She could use a good female influence in her life." Kouichirou said, tentatively reaching across the table to take hold of her hand. "I know I can, you're not afraid to pull your punches. I like that in a woman."

Yukira smirked. "I'll admit I've come to enjoy all your company as well. So like it or not, you chuckleheads are stuck with me for the long haul, so you better get used to it. I'm not going away any time soon." She tightened her grip slightly. "And we're going to clear this game, no matter what! I know I'm not the only one who feels this way."

"You got that right." Kouichirou said. "How about we sit down to dinner? It's been a long day and I think we all earned a good meal."

"I'm good with that." Kirito said, plopping down in his seat.

"I decided to start working on my cooking skill, I thought it might help when we're out in the field and we catch some good while hunting, not to mention it will help in potion making." Asuna said, before fixing her gaze on Kirito. "I know you'll be more than happy to help me chop up the vegetables, right Kirito?"

"Yes dear!" He said by instinct.

"I might join you in that case." Yukira said. "I'm sure your brother enjoys fine cuisine."

"You never know…" Kou smirked, reasoning that meeting Yukira had been one of the best things to ever happen to him.


End file.
